Needle-picking machine



Jim. 29, 1929. 1,700,572

M. L. REIDINGER NEEDLE PICKING moanin- Filed April l8, 1924 v 4Sheets-Sheet 1 7 ATTORNEY M. L. RElDlNG ER NEEbLE PICKING MACHINE Jan.29, 1929.

' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1924 ATTORNEY Jan. '29, 1929.

v M. L. REIDINGER npsnu PICKING MACHINE Filed April 18,1924

4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR I Maxwel/LRem'z'ryer AT OQNEY WITNESSES a Jan.29, 1929.

M, L. REIDINGE R NEEDLE PIGKING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1924 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Maxwell Lfieia'iryer A RNEY I needles forpresentation to the operative.

Patented 2Z9,

MAXWELL .L. nnrninenr or ELIZABETH, new JERSEY, AssrenoR Terran swamMANUFACTURING comranr. or ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEWVJERSEY.

NEEDLE-PIGKING MACHINE.

Application filed. April 18, 1924. Serial no. 707,410. f

This invention relates to improvements in -needle-making machinery; andhas for its primary ob ect to provide improved mechanism for rapidly andaccurately rearranging a plurality of needles whereby all of theneedle-points PI'OJQCllll] the same general direction.

dispose the rearranged needles in a receptacle insubstantialparallelism.

Other and more specific objects of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims. 7

In the manufacture of needles, a number of operations are efiected bymachinery requiring definite relative position of the parts of eachparticular machine. /Vhile prior efforts have been-made to providemechanism for automatically rearranging a group of needles whereby theyare'disposed in the necessary relationship, such efforts have not beensufficiently practical to replace the manual rearrangement of theneedles. This manual operation is commercially termed needle-picking, aterm which will hereinafter be employed for the like operationautomatically effected by the machine of the present invention.

The needle-picking machine constituting a preferred embodiment of thisinvention includes a hopper provided with rotary needle-agitatingfingers for separatin the needles and having a travelling base whichdeposits the needles upon an inclined plate disposed'adjacent one end ofa substantially horizontal reciprocating-table. This table is providedwith a pin 'ality of guideways constituted by parallel guide-bars spacedfrom each other a less distance than the length of r the needles to berearranged. These guideways insure the disposal of the needles, eitherpoint or shank first, substantially lengthwise in the direction ofreciprocation of thetable. The table is reciprocated in a'manner suchthat its movement in one direction is end denly arrested, whereby theneedles are advanced in their guideways a short distance during eachreciprocation of said table. This reciprocating table is furthermoreprovided with a gap of adjustable width, said gap intersecting the pathoftravel of the needles across tile table. h

It is a fact that the shanks of needles are A further object of theinvention is to heavier than their blades and consequently should theshank of a needle first. approach table-gap the needle as it passesfthe1n1t1al'edge of-the gap swings or tilts about 7 said edgeundergravityaction and drops shank-firstinto a narrow chute terminatingin a detachable receptacle. approach said gap point-first are advancedNeedles which across said gap because the greater weight of the shankwhen resting on the table pre vents tilting of the needles about theinitial gap-edge. However as soonas the nee dle shank overlies the gapthe needle tilts under gravity action about'the opposite edge of the gapand again drops shank-first into a chute. Inasmuch as the table isprovided with a plurality of the narrow guidewaysandta-chute isconnected with each guideway, a large number of needles may besimultaneously and accurately rearranged 1n the des1red manner andconsequently a single machine will effect the same result as a largenumber of needlepicking operators. The'tablegap may therefore be termeda needle-point directiondetermining device and is hereinafter so termed.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. is a side elevation of aneedle-picking machine constituting a preferred embodiment of the vationof the machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged I sectional view of the rearportion of the needle-supporting table and its actuating mech anism.Fig. 5 i set perspective view illustrating the operation of the.needle-point direc-.

tion determining gap. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the delivery end ofthe needle-hop 'aer and showing a portion of the table. Fig. 7

is a sectional view ofthe driving clutch.

Referring to the drawings, a-machine con;-

stituting an embodiment of the present invention, is supported. bystandards as 1 and invention. Fig. 2 is a top-plan View of theisconstructed with am ain rectangular frame 2. Journaled in alinedbearingsprovided in brackets 3 and a mounted upon the baseof the frame themain-shaft '5 carrying a grooved belt-pulley 6. The pulley 6 is drivenby means of abelt 7 *passing'under adjacent idler-pulleys Sand 9ournaled to rotate upon a stud-shaft 10, parallel with themain-shaft 5and sustained by a bracket l1, suitably secured upon one side oftheframe 2. The belt 7 may be connected with any suitable power source.

A needle-hopper frame 12 1s sustalned by straps as 13 suitably securedupon side-bars as .14 joined at the rear end of the machine by cross-bar15, the frame 12 being spaced from the side-bars 14: to provideclearance for a flat belt 16 constituting the base of the hopper. Thebelt 16 passes over drums 1 7 and 18, upon the forward drum 17 of whichare secured the spindles 19 and 20 ournaled in brackets, as 21, suitablysecured upon the opposite sides of the machine frame 2. The spindle 19ca "ries a Worm-wheel 22 in mesh with a worm 23 upon the upper end of avertical shaft 2% journaled at its upper end in a gear-casing 25 and adjacent its lower end in a bracket 26 both provided upon the side of themachine frame The vertical shaft carries a grooved beitpulley 27connected by means of a belt 28 with a pulley 29 secured upon a shortintermediate shaft 30 jonrnaled in bearing-brackets, as 31, upon theframe of the machine. The shaft 30 also carries another belt-pulley 32driven by means of a belt 233 from a pulleyv 34u'pon the main-shaft 5.

Upon the rear drum 18 of the hopper-belt 16 are secured the spindles 35journaled in slide-blocks 36, adj ustably disposed in guideslots, as 37,provided in the side-bars 14 and adjustments of which slide-blocks 36may be effected in any suit-able manner to vary the tension of the belt16. Pivotally connected with thefcross-bar 15 is a supporting-brace 38adjustably clamped by means of a clamp-lever 39 upon an extension d0 ofthe machine frame,

whereby the rearward end of the hopper may, if desired, be swung aboutthe spindles 19, 2O

. to incline the belt 16, when necessary under certain conditions toinvoke gravity action in the delivery of the needles from the hopper.

Upon the forward drum-spindle 20 1s sccured a belt-pulley 11 connectedbyineans of a belt 12 with a pulley 13 upon one end of a shaft 4 1journaled in brackets, as $5, sustained by the side-bars 14:. The shaft4% carries a plurality of radial needle-agitating fingers 46, a numberof which are omitted in of the drawings to more clearly show otherniechanism of the machine. The fingers 46 are preferably spaced fromeach other a distance lessthan the length of the needles operated uponand serve primarily to separate the needles of a hopper.

The needles are delivered by the belt 16 upon an inclined flat-plate 1'?having at its opposite sides depending flanges 48 by means of which itis secured upon side-guards 4:9 sustained by bracket-extensions 50,suitably fixed upon the forward drum-supporting brackets 21. The plate47 is preferably reinforced by means of an angle-beam 51 suitablysecured upon the under side thereof, while a number of baffle-rods 52project upwardly from said group or cluster deposited in the plate andserve to turn needles dropping transversely from the belt 16.

The needles slide down the inclined plate 47 upon a reciprocatingtable53 comprising a wide forward portion in advance of the plate 4??extending the entire width of the machine and a narrowed rearwardextension 5 This table 53 is preferably sustained by a-plurality ofball-bearings 55 interposed between the under side of the table and thestationary machine frame 2. The forward portion of the table 53 isprovided at intervals with longitudinal slots 56 for the reception ofguide-bars 57, said slots terminating in shallow grooves 58 formed inthe upper surface of the table and affording seats for the narrowed'rear ends of the guide-bars 57 which are clamped to their seats by across-bar 59 suitably secured upon the table The outer guide-bars areconstituted by supporting plates 60, secured upon the opposite sides ofthe table 53 and sustaining an ad ustable table-entcnsion 61. To thisend, said table-enf tension 61 has its ends sli'din'gly disposed inslots as 62 (only one of which is shown) provided in thesupporting-plates 60, the under side of said table-extension beingprovided this gap '67 constitutes an important feature of the invention,as will hereinafter app-ear.

Certain of the guide-bars, such as 68, be

lengthened to provide additional supporting and guiding slots 69 for thetable-extension 61 and to afford additional bearings for the shaft 6 1.,The remaining guide-bars 57 enter slots 70 provided in the tableextension 61 in alinement with the siots 56, it being understood fromthe foregoing description that the main table 53, the guide-bars 57, thetable-c tension 61 and its adjusting means reciprocate I as a unit andthat the width of the gap 67 1s only altered by manual adjustment of theshaft 64:. Preferably aslotted and apcrtnred block 7.1 is secured uponthe outer side of each of the supporting plates 60to afford a moresubstantial bearing surface for the parts sustained thereby.

To advance the needles toward the gap the table 53, 54, 61 isreciprocated in one direction by a peripherally-toothed cam 72 curedupon a transverse shaft 73 journaled in a bearing-bracket 74: providedon the frame 2 and in the bearing 4' of the main shaft 5. The shaft 73carries a worm-wheel 75 rotated by a worm-gear 76 upon said 7 main-shaft5. Engaging theteeth of the cam 72 is one arm 77 of a bellcranktappet-lever, fulcruined upon a bracket 78 and of which the other arm'29 engages a block 80 secured by meansof screws, as 81, (only one ofwhich is shown) upon the under side of the rearward extension 54 of thetable. A post 82 depends from the under side of the tableextension 54and this is connected by means of a coil-spring83 with an adjustable rod84 passing through an apertured bracket 85 provided on the base of theframe 2. Threaded upon said rod 84 is an adjusting nut 86 determiningthe tension of the spr ng 83, which latter functions to impart theforward or advancing movements to the table 53, 54:; 61 while the cam 72acts to retract said table.

The arm 77 of the bellcrank-lever is con nccted by means of a spring 87with the post 82 to insure contact of the other arm 7901. said leverwith the block 80. g

It will be apparent that while the retracting movement of the table iscon'iparatively,

slow, the forward movement is very rapid under the action of the spring83 at the times when each tooth of the cam 72 leaves the arm 77. Thisrapid advancing'movement 0f the table suddenly arrested by an adjustablebuffer 88 of rubber or other suitable materialinserted inthe face ofa'spur-gear '89 carried by a stud 90 threaded into a block 91. The block91 is secured upon the machine frame 2 by screw-bolts 92 and projectsupwardly through'a slot 93 formed in the rear table-extension 54. Theend wall 9 1 of said slot 93 constitutes the buffer-engaging element ofthe table. horizontal position of the buffer 88, an adjusting spindle 95has one end journaled in the block 91 and its opposite end in abearingblock 96 suitably secured upon the machine frame. This spindle 95carries a pinion 97 meshing with the spur-gear 89 and is manuallyrotated bymcans of a cranlchandle 98. The spindle 95 is held againstendwise movement in any suitable manner and it will be apparent thatrotation of said spindle upon manipulation of the crank-handle 98 willcauserotation of the stud 90 within the block 91 whereby the position ofthe bulfer 88 may .be varied to increase or decrease the reciprocatingmovement of the table.

Secured upon the forward end of the machine-frame 2 is a frame-brackethaving a curved face 100 affording a seat for the base 101 of aplurality of needle-chutes, of which the side walls are constituted byspaced par allel guide-bars 102 coinciding with the lower edges of theguide-bars 57. The base 101 of the chute is secured by screws as 103upon the curved face 100 of the bracket 99, the guide-bars 102 beingsuitably riveted upon said base 101 and further secured in spacedparallel relation by a' strap 10 1 fas toned to the frame-bracket 99.The chute- In order to "adjust the and also to'steady theguide-bars 102.The

guide-bars 102 are provided with enlarged weclgeshaped lower ends 107.The f "rune-bracket 99 sustains a vibratory receptacle-holder 108,- itbeing preferred to interpose series of bearing balls 109 between groovesin said holder and bracket; The receptacle-holder 108 is formed at itsopposite longitudinal ends with retaining lugs 110 between which isinserted a receptaclelll of. which one longitudinal edge is seated in agroove 108 provided in the holder. The receptacle has a plurality ofconiipartments formed by dividing walls 112 in alinement with theenlarged ends 107 ofthe guide-bars 102, whereby during the vibratorymovements of the receptacle the walls 112 do not pass beyond saidguide-barends 107 and consequently do not interfere with the passage ofthe needles into said compartments. The needle-receptacle and its holderare vibrated in unison by means of a lever 113 of whichf one end entersa socket 114 provided in the fork 115 straddling an eccentric 116 uponthe shaft 30. It will be understood that the vibratory movement of thereceptacle is extremelysmall, its only purpose being to aid the needlesin settling. in their compartments into parallel relationship. A support117 is preferably provided at the forward end of the bracket 99 forareceptacle to facilitate substitution of an empty receptacle fora fullone, while'a'n' apron 118 is shown as secured upon the main-frame 2 tocatch needles which may accidentally become dislodged. in their normalpassage through the machine.

In order to start and stop the machine, the

pulley 6 is loosely disposed upon the mainshaft 5 and carriesa lateralclutch-pin 119 adapted to'be engaged'by a similar pin 120 provided upona shift-collar 121. i The shiftcollar 121 is slidingly keyed upon aflanged luishing 122 for rotation therewi 11, said bush ing beingsuitably secured. upon the main- In the operation of the machine, aftera group 'of'needles ,to be rearranged has been deposited upon the hopperbelt 16 rearward of the agitating fingers i6 the machine isstarted byshifting of the lever 129 to clutch the pulley 6 to the main-shaft 5.This brings the various mechanisms described into opertion, whereuponthe hopper-belt 16 carries the needles toward the agitating fingers 46,which rotate in the opposite direction. 7 While the fingers serve tosome extent to arrange the needles in the direction of travel ot thebelt 16, they do not approach close enough to the belt to compel thisposition; their prime disposed substantially parallel with saidguideebars.

Any needles which may lie transversely across the guide-bars 57 aredeflected into the guideways both by the reciprocating movements of thetable and by diverting-fingers 130 projecting into the needle guidewaysand carried by a rod 131. The rod 131 is journaled for oscillation inthe side-guards L9 and carries at one end a crank-arm 132 connected to alink 133 pivotally secured upon a lug 134 fastened upon the tablelnasmuch as the side-guards as are stationary, the reciprocatingmovements ofthe table 53 will obviously cause oscillation of the rod131- whereupon the diverting fingers 130 will dislodge any transverseneedles and cast them into the guideways.

The etlect ot the suddenly arrested movements of the table is such as toadvance the needles in their guideways, either pointor shanlcfirst thespeed of advance being regulated-by adjustment 0f the position of thebutter 88. Any needle which approaches the needle-point directiondetermining 67, termed by the spaced and adjustable tableeiitension 61,shank-first will tilt about the initial edge otthe gap as soon astheneedle has advanced beyond its center of gravity which is adjacentthe heavier shank-portion of the needle. Consequently such needle willdrop shank-first into a chute-guidewa and slide down in this positioninto one of the receptacle-compartments. Should a needle advancepoint-fi st, the point will bridge the gap 67 because the heavier shanknow prevents til-ting of the needle about the initial gap-edge. Thepoint-first needle will t iereupon advance upon the table-extension 531until the needle-shank overlies the gap, whereupon the needle tiltsabout the edge of the table-extension 61 and again drops shankfirst intoa chute and slides down into a receptacle compartment. As areceptaclec-ornpartrnent fills the vibratory movement of thereceptacle-holder 108 causes the needles to settle down into parallelismwith the points adjacent each other.

It is believed that the present invention is made clear by theforegoing.description considered in connection with theaccompanyingdrawings, but it is to be understood that the invention is in no wiselimited to the specific details of construction described.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 2-:-

1. In a needle-picking machine for rearranging a group of needlesheavier at the butt-end than at the point, substantially horizontalneedle-supporting means provided with a gap defined by spaced wallsabout which needles advanced thereacross point or butt-end-first turngravitationally to tall butt-end-first through said gap, and means foradvancing needles endwise'across said supporting means over said gap.

2. In a needle-picking machine, substantionally fall butt-end-first,said walls defining a gap therebetween through which the needles tall,and guiding means extending across said gap confining the needles toendtially horizontal needle-supporting means wise movement upon saidsupporting means.

in a needle-picking machine for rearranging a group of needles heavierat the butt-end than at the point, substantially horizontalneedle-supporting and guiding means confining the needles toendwisemovement,

the needle-supporting means terminating in advance of the end of theguiding means to provide a needle-turning wall about which wall needlesapproaching b-utt-end-first gravitationally tall butt-end-first fromsaid supporting means, and a second needle-turning wall spaced from theother wall, about which needles approaching point-end-first gravitzutionally tall butt-end-first.

4:. In a needle-picking machine substantially horizontalneedle-supporting means provided with a gap defined by spaced wallsdisposed transversely of the direction of movement of the needles uponsaid supporting means, means for advancing the needles across saidsupporting means, and guiding means extending across said gap confiningthe needles to endwise movement upon said suppo 5 means, whereby needlesapproach ng said gap butt-endfirst turn gravitationally about the firstapproached gap wall and needles approaching point-end-first turngravitationally about the second gap wall to in both cases tallbutt-end-first through said gap, and means for conducting the fallingneedles endwise away from said gap.

5. In a needle-picking machine, a horizon tally disposed reciprocatorytable provided with a plurality of adjacent needle guideways confiningthe needles to endwise movement and with a needle-point directiondedirection determining gap, and adjusting.

means for determining the width of said gap.

8. In a needle-picking machine, a needlesupporting table, atable-extension spaced from said table to provide a needle-pointdirection determining gap, and means for relatively adjusting said tableand table-er:- tension to vary the width of said gap.

9. In a needlepicking machine, aneedlesupporting table,a table-extensionspaced from said table to provide a needle-point direction determininggap, adjusting means for varying the width of said gap, and means forreciprocating said table, table-extension and adjusting means in unisonto advance needles toward said gap. 7

10. In a needle-picking machine, a reciprocatory table provided with aneedle-point direction determining gap, means for directing needlesendwise toward said gap, and means for reciprocating said table toadvance said needles including a buffer for arresting the movement ofsaid table in one direction,

and means for advancing the table to engage said buffer.

11. In a needle-picking machine, a reciprocatory table provided with aneedle-point direction determining device, a buffer, yielding means forrapidly advancing said table into engagement with Said butter to arrestthe movement of said table in one direction,

a rotary actuating element for retracting said table, and means foradjusting the extent of advancing n'iovement of said table 12. In aneedlep1ckmg machine, a needlesupporting table provided with a needlepoint direction determining device, and

means for reciprocating said table to advance needles thereacrossincluding a buffer, a butferblock, a buffer carrying stud threaded intosaid buffer-block, a butler adjusting rod, and gear connections betweensaid rod and stud to vary the position of said buffer.

18. In a needle-picking machine, a reciprocatory table provided with aplurality of adjacent needle-guideways and with a needlepoint directiondetermining gap intersecting said guideways, means for advancing needlesHl'SmCl guide-ways to sa1d gap, a plurallty of 4 needle-divertinglingers disposed to engage needles positioned transversely of saidguideways, and means for actuating said diverting fingers.

14. In a needle-picking machine for rearranging a group ofneedlesheavier at the butt-end than at the point, a needle-hopper havinga base moving in a continuous direction for delivering needlestherefrom, means for actuating said hopper base, adjustable means forinclining said base to the'horizontal to control the speed of deliveryof the needles therefrom, areciprocating table receiving the needlesdelivered by said hopperbase including guiding means confining theneedles to endwise movement across said table, means for reciprocatingsaid table to advance theneedles thereacross, said table terminating ina wall disposed transverselyof the direction of travel of the needlesabout which wall needles approaching butt-endfirst turn togravitationally fall butt-endfirst, a table extension having a wallspaced from the 'first-named wall about which needles approachingpoint-end-first turn to gravitationally fall butt-end-first, said Wallsdefining a gap therebetween through which the needles fall.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MAXWELL L. REIDINGER.

